The final leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown proved to be the most grueling for King’s Plate winner PARAMOUNT PRINCE, who battled hard to be third in the Prince of Wales in the mud at Fort Erie. The 1 1/2 mile Breeders’ Stakes, a one-lap tour of the famed E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine, offered an overall purse of $400,000 with 60 percent going to the winner.
Paramount Prince, the hard-trying gelding trained by Mark Casse for owners Mike Langlois and Gary Barber, assumed his usual position near the early lead in what would be his grass debut in the Breeders’. Jockey Patrick Husbands had the gelding by Society’s Chairman out in the four-path around the first, slightly-uphill turn while longshot Hemlo Gold raced for the lead.
The pace was strong and into the backstretch, Paramount Prince grabbed the lead from Hemlo Gold after a first quarter in 23.71 and half a mile in 48.75. Prince of Wales runner-up Kaukokaipuu, used early to chase the pace by jockey Rocco Bowen, was in close attendance along the inside while Midnight in Malibu stalked on the outside of TOUCH ‘n RIDE, a Chiefswood Stable gelding who had been supplemented to the race.
Into the final turn, Paramount Prince, the 3-to-1 race favourite, edged past Hemlo Gold but his tough stablemate, the filly ELYSIAN FIELD (Hard Spun), the Woodbine Oaks winner, was moving from well off the pace under jockey Sahin Civaci. Elysian Field, who was second in the Plate to Paramount Prince, made a fast move to the lead and was in front turning for home after 6 furlongs in 1:13.65.
It appeared the filly had got away from her rivals but lightly-raced Touch’n Ride, by Candy Ride (Arg), kept chasing the filly through the stretch despite being carried out wide. Elysian Field, with Civaci encouraging her left-handed, continued to drift out but Touch’n Ride, owned by Chiefswood Stable, ridden by Kazushi Kimura and trained by Layne Giliforte, battled hard to win by just a head bob.
The final time was 2:27.56.
It was four lengths back to 50-to-1 shot TWOWAYCROSSING, who motored home for third for owner, trainer and breeder Roger Attfield.
Paramount Prince faded to 13th, some 24 lengths behind the top pair.
There was a claim of foul lodged following the race by Civaci that was disallowed.
Touch’n Ride, trained by Layne Giliforte, was winning for the second time in five races. His half-brother, Neepawa, also won the Breeders’.
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